(or, What Happened Because of a Tire, Part Two. )
Post-tire adventure, we piled back in the car and started down the highway again. Now Alex was the crabby one (he wanted the McDonald’s Playplace, not Pizza Hut), and this time he was the one who conked out immediately. Meanwhile, in the captain’s chairs, Julianna and Nicholas struck up an antiphonal chorus. Julianna clapped, Nicholas giggled. Nicholas clapped, Julianna giggled. Julianna squealed, Nicholas giggled. (He has such an adorable laugh.) Nicholas made raspberry noises, Julianna giggled. They stretched their arms across the divide between their chairs and shook hands, and both of them would collapse into hysterics simultaneously.
It was ten miles of entertainment for Mommy and Daddy, until Nicholas conked out mid-squeal and Julianna waved her empty hand at Nicholas, wailing, “Euh, euh!”
My little ones are two peas in a pod these days. As Nicholas barrels down on his big sister’s developmental age—not to mention her weight and height—they become more and more aware of their compatibility.
But of course, compatibility at this age also involves conflict. As the ranking child, Julianna must keep some measure of control. She likes to teach him…
…and lead him in chorus…
…and there’s a healthy dose of torment in their relationship, too. If he gets out of line (which means, uh…I don’t know, he looked at her funny?), she “hugs” him.
Yeah, like that. Involving lots of screaming and wailing from him, and a sly smile from her.
Hold onto control as long as you can, little girl. I estimate you’ve got six months, max, before he barrels past you, and starts dragging you along the path of developmental milestones.
Kathleen M. Basi 
Oh so very cute.
Hm. I think that I say that too much in your comment section. Perhaps I should instead point out that I really like the way you describe your children’s interactions, and that you had me smiling while reading this post.
How sweet! I love watching my kids play together. Even when their developmental stages seem to be miles apart (i.e., the 8 year old plays with the baby)…they are still friends/partners/playmates and it’s so much fun to watch!